Honoring the Badge
by Lissa Raven
Summary: Detective!AU When Detective Darcy Lewis gets transferred over to NYPD to partner up with one Steve Rogers, she gets way more than she ever thought possible.
1. Chapter 1

"Stark, stop. Your "psychic vibrations" don't hold up in court, or in my book. Get me some solid evidence," Steve practically barked as he walked through the precinct. He had gone on a coffee run was then promptly cornered by the resident consultant and self proclaimed "head psychic of the NYPD", Tony Stark.

"Stevie boy, I am getting some strong hunches that you are full of shit." Tony frowned as they rounded a corner and found a rather curvaceous brunette sitting at Steve's old partner-Bucky who had gone on a long trip to go find himself-'s desk. "I'm serious though, I have some strong vibrations that you have the wrong man."

"Kinky. If that persists for more than four hours, I'd call a doctor," The brunette smirked up at the pair.

"That's just how I roll. I'm Tony Stark, NYPD head psychic. This is my police detective sidekick Captain America. Not many people get to know his secret identity-Steve Rogers-so you should count yourself in that lucky few. He has a thing for snarky brunettes." Tony smirked as the girl stood, her long dark wavy hair was pulled into a ponytail and her dark green button up shirt was tucked into a waist high black pencil skirt.

"Tony, stop. I'm Steve Rogers, head detective. This is a consultant who is very full of crap," Steve practically growled at the shorter man.

"Wow, we don't need a psychic to sense the animosity between you two." Darcy pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm his favorite. You should see how he treats people that he doesn't like. He's vicious."

"I'm sure. And Captain America?"

"Tony likes to give everyone nicknames, Arthur is Thor because of his Norse heritage and god like build. Natasha is Black Widow and no one will tell us why. Chief Coulson is Super Nanny, Steve's Captain America, Sam is Falcon, Bucky was the Winter Soldier, Banner is the Hulk-you wouldn't like him when he gets angry-and I'm Hawkeye because of my amazing aim. You must be the newbie, Darcy Lewis." Clint said with a smile from the desk next to Darcy's.

"I am and I did not catch any of that." Darcy smiled at Clint before Chief Philip Coulson walked out of his office.

"Introductions are over. Lewis, Rogers, get in here!" Coulson barked as both detectives nodded and walked into his space.

"Chief," Steve greeted. Coulson nodded and tossed a badge at Darcy and pointed to a standard issue pistol, gesturing for her to take it and the holster that it came with.

"Rogers, this is Darcy Lewis. She's being relocated here from New Mexico and will be your partner from now on."

"Sir, what about when Bucky gets back?" Steve asked, basically ignoring the brunette in the room.

"Barnes is currently MIA and when or if he gets back, he can be partnered with everyone's favorite psychic as punishment."

"How often does this department work with a phony psychic?" Darcy asked.

"Often enough to get results." Steve admitted begrudgingly.

"Oh hey, he does notice that I'm here!" Darcy faked excitement and smiled widely at the tall blonde.

"Sorry ma'am," At least he had the courtesy to look apologetic. "I just wasn't expecting another partner so soon."

"Well, here I am, so," Darcy snarked as she clipped her badge onto the waist of her skirt and fastened the holster over her shoulder before securing the pistol to the side and just under her breasts. "Hello, partner, I'm Darcy Lewis. I like dogs and frozen yogurt. I was just transferred from New Mexico where I worked as the head detective."

"I'm Steve Rogers, I like dogs and sports. I have been here for two years and am currently the head detective."

"Great. now that that's squared away, you have a case. Now get out of my office," Coulson ordered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stakeout**

Darcy sighed at sat back in the nondescript sedan that Steve had rented for this stakeout. She sipped at her coffee-a mocha cookie crumble from Starbucks-and stared out the driver side window at a light blue townhouse. She glanced over at her partner for officially one month and took in the fact that he was actually here in New Mexico, helping her old roommate with a stalker problem, simply because Jane needed help.

"You're kind of remarkable, you know that?" Darcy told him sincerely, causing a pink blush to appear on the man's neck and cheeks.

"Thanks, Darce, but I'm just doing doing what anyone would do," Steve answered, offering her a little half smile as he drank from his black coffee.

"Yeah, but I really appreciate it," the brunette gave him an answering smile. "And so does Jane. She didn't want me to come back here alone."

"Why's that?" Rogers asked, intrigued by his partner's elusive past.

"Let's just say that this isn't the first time I've dealt with this stalker," She answered semi-cryptically.

"We're not done talking about that, but I think I've spotted our guy," Steve told her matter of factly. Darcy nodded at him as they both moved silently from where they were sat. The man-Grant Ward- was making his way to Jane's front door, his back to the pair of detectives until he heard the click of Darcy cocking her Smith & Wesson personal handgun.

"Hi Grant," Darcy said with a fake cheerful smile.

"Sheriff," Darcy greeted the older man brightly as he scowled. "I believe you lost something."

"Lewis," The sheriff, an older man who served as a marine in his good days and was now pudgy and his fluffy salt and pepper hair was beginning to thin, grunted. There was an obvious animosity between the two of them. "Is there a reason you have my trainee cuffed and in a holding cell?"

And that must be the cause of the animosity.

"Yes, he's a psycho stalker. _This_ time, though, he was stalking Jane and she knew that you, Sheriff Garrett, wouldn't do jack shit; she called my partner and I. We found Ward lurking about her lab and home. After looking over the evidence she had gathered herself and gathering our own evidence, we decided that Ward wasn't-what did you call it?-'Just being a horny little bastard' but was, indeed, stalking Dr. Foster." Steve chuckled at the vehemence in his partner's voice. This was only the third time he'd heard her so ready to shoot someone. The first was whenever they were on a stakeout and some asshat started catcalling her and making lewd comments. The second time, a rookie made the mistake of saying something painfully sexist.

In front of her.

And Natasha.

Lets just say that all three men who had earned the spitfire's anger didn't fair well. Neither did Ward, who eventually earned himself a nice long sentence after being linked to the burning down of his family's house.

"So what did you mean back in the car?" Steve asked as they both relaxed in his motel room with ice cream cones-his a single vanilla scoop, hers a double scoop of mint chip.

"I meant that for a full year until I was able to relocate to New York, Ward stalked and harassed me and Sheriff Garrett did nothing about it, that prick. He said that he just had a crush and that he was just being a boy. Grant Ward is delusional and dangerous to the public, but Garrett took the kid in when he was just a wee lad." Darcy explained, earning a bump in the shoulder from Steve.

"Does this mean that I've unlocked the 'Tragic Past of Darcy Lewis'?" He asked playfully.

"You don't reach that level until we've at least gone through eight life or death scenarios."

"Well, there was the time that Tony got us into a shootout with the Serpent Society," Steve finished his ice cream and began counting on his fingers all of the times either one of them could have died.

"Mmm, bar hopping with Clintasha," Darcy offered from in between melt bites of her own dessert. Clint had recently been partnered with the CIA liaison for indefinitely, so Darcy had taken to calling them 'Clintasha'.

Steve shivered at the memory. Never again. "The whole thing with Howard Stark."

"I think that was more of a life or death sitch for Mr. Holier-Than-Thou Stark. Honestly, I'm surprised that Tony turned out the way that he did."

Steve put the third finger and began to think some more. He snapped the fingers of his other hands as he remembered. "Your undercover time as dueting with that famous asshole, what was his name?"

"Ah, Harry Osborn. Nice kid. Perverted, but nice." Darcy commented as she finished off her snack and leaned back in Steve's rented bed.

"He was disrespectful and deserved the concussion that I gave him."

"Speaking of disrespectful and deserving of a concussion, the Johnny Storm case," The brunette reminded him with a shit-eating grin. Steve groaned and leaned back next to her on the pink floral duvet. He held up his left hand with the total tally-every finger up but his pinky-and sighed.

"Four down, four to go. This does not mean that you should get held hostage or anything any time soon, Lewis, you understand that?" The blonde ordered her, half playing but still very serious.

"How many life/death situations do we have to be in before I unlocked _your_ story? I'm not the kind of girl who shows you mine and doesn't expect to see yours in return." She waggled her eyebrows at the innuendo and earned herself a playful shove from her partner.

"Seven. Seven life or death situations, two sleepovers, and you have to braid Thor's hair."

"...I've actually been looking for an excuse to do that," Darcy told him, grinning wide enough for him to know that he should probably apologize to Thor sometime in the near future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tony Fucking Stark**

"Tony, I am _not_ going to _steal_ a case for you. Number one, the director of Natasha's liaison project is here, and number two, that is very illegal!" Darcy whisper-yelled at Tony as she continued to braid Thor's long blonde hair. "Jane is in town, and Steve and I will get pulled into to whatever ridiculous investigation you get yourself into. Why don't you just 'psychic' you're way through this?"

After their first two investigations together, Tony spilled the beans to her. He was hyper-observant, and after leaving one too many tips that he deduced from the news, they had thought that he was a crime lord or something. So he bluffed. He'd been pretending to be a psychic with Rhodey, his loyal sidekick, for about six months whenever she joined the force. Today was the end of her fourth month with them and he wanted a case to celebrate.

"Darcy, Darcy-doll, Darcy-girl," Tony pleaded with the curvy brunette as she finished up the braid. She wrapped the ponytail holder around the end of the braid. Thor smiled up at her and let her take a picture of the goofy face.

"You have my thanks, Darcy," He told her earnestly. "My hair, while a sign of a true warrior, is quite cumbersome."

"No problem, big guy!"

"Lewis, Stark! Get Rogers and get to my office. Clear your schedule, Lewis, this one is time-sensitive!" Coulson barked. And with that all of the life poured out of her body and filled Tony's.

"Darcy, as thanks for taking care of my problem, I will entertain your Lady Jane while you work?" The large blonde one suggested.

"Oh please? Her flight gets in at 3:45. Her name is Jane Foster, long straight brown hair, dark brown eyes, whites, probably wearing a graphic t-shirt and ratty jeans, she's short compared to you and weighs about 95 pounds soaking wet. Entertain her and then take her back to my place, I'll text you my address. Make sure she eats!" Darcy instructed him as Tony dragged her into the office.

"Chief Coulson, dearest, you approved my vacation time!" Darcy yelled as she made eye contact with her boss.

"Yeah, and then we got a bomb threat. Sit your ass down and _where the hell is Rogers_?"

Tony, Steve, and Darcy arrived back at her place at four in the morning to find Jane and Thor making sundaes while Jane explained astrophysics to him. The pair was hardly dressed, Thor shirtless and Jane wearing panties and a tank top.

"God dammit, Jane! ou did not get boned by hottest guy I know while I was searching bomb threats and discovering a damn serial killer that's going to warrant more investigation with _Tony fucking Stark_. This isn't fair!" Darcy whined as she plopped down on her white modern style couch, body aching in exhaustion.

"Sorry, Darce. I was the one that got stood up," Jane pointed out, but grabbed a bowl for a sundae for Darcy anyway. "Nice to see you again, Steve. You two want a sundae?" She asked the blonde and brunette who had trailed in behind her best friend.

"Nice to see you, too, Jane, and no but thank you," Steve answered her with a polite smile before sitting down next to his partner and laying the case files on her coffee table.

"Yes, please!" Tony smiled widely, "I'm Tony fucking Stark, by the way. Psychic detective."

Darcy grunted and Jane raised an eyebrow. "Jane, no experimenting on him. Thor, for fucking my best friend, bring me some coffee. _Some_ of us have to stay up all night to catch elusive killers." Steve patted her shoulder and began to rub at the tense muscles, earning him a grateful moan.

Ice cream sundaes and coffee were dished out as Jane and Thor joined Tony, Steve, and Darcy in their mini case solving party. At five am Tony and Thor were sent home, at seven Steve and Darcy fell asleep on Darcy's couch, and Jane vacated to the guest room.

At noon Steve had made pancakes and bacon and was now trying wake up a very asleep Darcy.

"Darcy? Come on, Darce, I made you some breakfast. We have a killer to catch." Darcy groaned and turned away from him, towards the back of the couch. Steve chuckled. "_Darcy_."

"I dun wanna," She mumbled, making disgruntled noises whenever Steve took her blanket away. "Steeeeve!" She whined as she turned over.

"Darcy, its time to wake up!" Steve tried to be serious, almost losing his resolve whenever she curled up into a shivering ball-at some point during the night she had changed into shorts that were too short for co-workers and low cut cut v-neck.

"Wait," She started seriously, an idea forming. He could see it on her face about three nanoseconds before she launched herself at him, clinging to his body heat. She let out a happy sigh and smiled into his chest-covered by a rumpled, thin white cotton t-shirt. "Jesus, Rogers, you're a fucking radiator."

The sound of a camera shutter immediately drew Steve's attention to the short, dark haired, goateed man wearing a shit-eating grin and holding his phone up.

"I am going to kill him," Darcy mumbled.

"I might let you," Steve agreed.

"I am going to kill, Tony fucking Stark."

"Oh, Stevie boy!" Darcy exclaimed all big hair, big grin, and big curves as she pranced through the station three hours after they caught a serial killer/bomber.

"Yes, Darcy doll?" Steve answered with a grin of his own, not bothering to look up from his paperwork until his partner thrust her smart phone under his nose, on it a picture of Thor with his hair French braided.

"One, the Serpent Society Shootout, two, Clintasha, three Harry Osborn, four, Johnny Storm, five Operation Get Coulson His Job Back, six, the Return of Grant Ward, seven, 'Plosion Joe. Sleepover number one, check. Next time, we're watching chick flicks and eating more popcorn than is healthy." She announced happily. "Now, I have to go make sure Jane gets back to my apartment and eats but I'll swing by later for my share of the paperwork. My turn to buy the coffee and donuts."

Steve watched, dumbfounded, as the woman flounced away, getting high fives from Clint, Sam, and Tony, a hug from Thor, and a nod from Natasha. Briefly his mind flitted back to the conversation in New Mexico, the cheap motel room and the feel of her laying next to him, pressed against his side, laughing and talking about nothing.

He chuckled and shook his head. He had a sneaking suspicion that the feisty, curvy spitfire who always had something to say and a point to prove was quickly weaseling her way into his heart.


End file.
